The balance of present and future is a tenuous one in the NHL.
Yes, you want to win every game now and keep your focus on that, but you also want to make sure you're preparing yourself for an eventual push for the playoffs... and make yourself the team you ultimately want to be.
The Stars helped themselves now, taking a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers Saturday at American Airlines Center, and also might have helped set the stage for a better future.
Dallas heads into a league-mandated five-day break (every team gets one and players are released from games and practices during the break) with a nice cushion in the standings at 24-16-3 (51 points).